Last week I had the opportunity to meet with a group of millennial social justice leaders who were meeting across the street at Union Theological Seminary. I probably shouldn’t have read their bios before I headed over to their closing…
Gun control no longer about politics; it’s about life and death
Last week we witnessed an inspiring demonstration of leadership as Democrats in Congress staged a sit-in on the House floor to demand a vote on pending legislation around gun control. U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ (D-Ga.) declared: “Deadly mass shootings are…
CBF General Assembly spawns two statements condemning Orlando massacre
Elected leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship passed a rare social commentary statement June 24 condemning the June 15 mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. “CBF is not a like-minded fellowship about matters related to human sexuality,”…
Separating the weapons of truth from truthiness
There’s truth, and then there’s truthiness. At least that’s what we learned from Stephen Colbert in the days of yore when he came to us on TV via “The Colbert Report.” “Truthiness” is that kind of information that sounds like…
The Democrats sang a decades-old hymn of protest during their sit-in
When House Speaker Paul Ryan interrupted Democrats’ sit-in over gun control late Wednesday night, the protestors reportedly responded with a song — the famous civil rights anthem, “We Shall Overcome.”
Does not Baal still live?
I had the difficult task of trying to teach the story in 1 Kings 18:20-38 to some elementary school age children. I wasn’t sure how to explain it both in a way that they would get it and in a…
Service at Emanuel marks transition to normalcy, worship
In a well-attended Sunday morning worship service at Emanuel AME Church that felt like a purposeful return to normalcy, the Rev. Betty Deas Clark importuned her listeners to trust that the Lord will relieve burdens and provide comfort.
A year after the Charleston church shooting, what has changed?
In the wake of the shooting at Emanuel, congregations in the AME and other black churches have ratcheted up security — installing cameras and, in some cases, posting armed ushers. Officers sometimes sit in on Bible study.
A time for prayer, but what kind?
Sunday night several hundred people gathered in my city to pray. We went to our prayer vigil place — the steps of the governmental plaza in Greensboro, N.C., where we’d gathered before. Some of the candles still held the wax…